Shoe binding fixture for skis



Aug. 22, i967 Filed sept. 22, 1965 l KoJl KATo SHOE BNDING'FIXTUR FR SKIS 2 Sheets-Sheet ll Aug. 22, 1967 Ko." KATo 3,337,226

SHOE BINDING FIXTURE FOR SKIS Filed Sept. 22, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v United States Patent O 3,337,226 SHQE BINDING FIXTURE FOR SKIS Koji Kato, 4Go, 12-Bon, Higashi-ogu, 4-chome, Arakawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan Filed Sept. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 489,200 Claims priority, application Japan, Oct. 9, 1964, 39/79,114 2 Claims. (Cl. 280-11.35)

The present invention relates to a shoe binding fixture for skis and elements thereof and more particularly is directed to a metal fixture for fitting the boot in its entirety to the ski by binding its heel part.

Heretofore, it would be very troublesome that the boot heel is bound with a Wire when fitting the boot to the ski, and therefore, a device for fitting the boot to the ski with extreme ease and security has been sought by the inventor who came to a fitting device in the form of the present invention.

The present invention is comprised of a compression binding fixture whereby to bind and fix the heel, when the ski is used, after the boot is set on the ski and the front part of the boot is fitted into a fitting mounted on the ski without using a wire and its tightening metal.

The object of the present invention lies in a mechanical structure furnished for fixing the whole boot to the ski by binding the heel extremely simply and securely without using such a means as wire and its tightening piece, but using, particularly, such a means as a heel binder having a concave, arcuate block that can firmly bind and fix the boot to the ski and also using a lever handle that can prevent said arcuate block from retraction so as to fix and support the boot onto the ski With stability when used.

The other important object of this present invention is to provide a mechanical fitting that can secure safety in emergency such as sprains or other injury that may occur, as the heel can be instantly freed from the said binding block when a vigorous force is applied suddenly to the boot.

Now the present invention will be better and further understood and other advantages of the invention will become apparent upon perusal of the following description taken in one embodiment of the invention and is connection with the drawings thereof, in which:

FIG. l is a side view of the present invention;v

FIG. 2 is a side view of the present invention in the case wherein the heel part of the boot is in the bound condition;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is an oblique view of the concave, accurate -block for directly binding the heel, of the present invention.

The present invention being a part of the entire skiing implement with the purpose of binding the boot to the ski when used and also unbinding the boot therefrom quickly when necessary, there is provided in the first place on the ski 1 with a fixing block 10, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, which has a coupler hole 9 bored therein on the front of which a heel binding fixture proper 8 is to be fixed with screws 6 and 7 through adjusting slots 4 and 5 provided on both sides of the ski 1. On the rear side of said fixing block 10 there is provided a carrier block 13 which slides along back and forth being fitted in a guide channel 12 formed on guide walls 11 which stand on both sides and rearward of said fixing block 10. A binding nut 15 is screwed onto a bolt 14 for binding ice as well as supporting said heel binder body 8, said bolt 14 being inserted and borne in the coupler hole 9 of the fixing block 10 and the coupler hole of said carrier` block 13. Between said carrier block 13 and said nut 15 there is inserted and laid a compression coil spring 16 into the bolt 14, to the head of which bolt links 17 are pivotally fixed, and also links 18 are pivotally-fixed to the carrier block 13 with pins 19 and 20 respectively.

The fore ends of these links 17 and 18 are pivot-fixed with pins 22 and 23 respectively onto the front part oi' a lever handle 21. And there is provided on the front of the lever handle 21 a concave, arcuate block 24 pivotally fixed with a pin 22 for the purpose of impactly pressing and binding the boot heel against said block 24. Said concave, actuate block 24 having a heel compressing face 25 provided with a taper 26 on the upper side thereof; said taper 26 extends downward to form a grandual projection 25'; another taper 27 is provided toward the lower part from the end of said projection 25'; said concave, arcuate block 24 whose contact face with the heel has been formed into an arc so as to be suitable for compressing and binding the heel is set pivotally in the end of the links 17 and the lever 21 with the pin 22.

Such being the structure of the present invention, the object of the invention is attained by so operating as follows:

In order to fit and bind the boot onto the ski, the fore part of the boot is first set and fitted into the fixing block 10 mounted on the ski; then, the heel of the boot is positioned in the concave, arcuate block 24 of the heel binder proper 8; the lever handle 21 is lowered from the condition of FIG. 1 down to that of FIG. 2, when the links 17 and 18 become inclined and swinging forward and the concave, arcuate block 24 will firmly'bind the boot upon pressing against the heel, so that the boot is firmly and securely fixed to the ski.

The rear end of said lever handle 21 will come down lower than the pin 22 for pivot-fixing the concave, arcuate block 24, and the links 17 will become inclined upwardly while the links 18 will lie substantially horizontally and be retaining that condition, and therefore, the concave, arcuate block will not retract while being used, so that the boot may be supported and bound rmly on the ski 1 with great stability.

Further, in emergency, such as in case a vigorous, strong torque is suddenly applied to the boot, the carrier block 13 under a constant pressure of the compression coil spring 16 will retract somewhat in the guide channel 12 while also compressing the compression coil spring 16, and then the heel will come off the concave, arcuate block 24, and therefore, there will occur no such injury as sprains of the ankle or the like, so that safety may be maintained when used.

What is claimed is:

1. A shoe binding fixture for skis which comprises: a fixing block having a coupler hole, provided on the foreward part of a heel binding fixture fixed on the ski; a carrier block sliding back -and forth upon being fitted in the guide channel having guide walls on both sides of the rear part of the fixing block in the rear thereof; a binding bolt provided as horizontally inserted and fitted through the coupler hole of the carrier block and the coupler hole of the fixing block, said bolt being screwed with a nut for the binding purpose; a compression coil spring inserted into the bolt between said nut and the carrier block; two pairs of links for pivotally connecting through pins the bolt head and the carrier block respectively with a lever handle that is also provided herewith for operation of binding; and a concave, arcuate block pivot-Xed to the foreward part of said lever handle for being knocked against the heel of the boot for compression and binding of the boot.

2. A concave, arcuate block, as described in claim 1, comprising a heel compressing face provided with a taper on the upper side thereof, said taper extending downward to form a gradual projection, and provided also with another taper extending from said projection downward to the lower part thereof, and a face for contacting with i the heel formed in an arc so as to be suitable for compressing and binding the heel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS BENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner.

0 J. H. BRANNEN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SHOE BINDING FIXTURE FOR SKIS WHICH COMPRISES; A FIXING BLOCK HAVING A COUPLER HOLE, PROVIDED ON THE FOREWARD PART OF A HEEL BINDING FIXTURE FIXED ON THE SKI; A CARRIER BLOCK SLIDING BACK AND FORTH UPON BEING FITTED IN THE GUIDE CHANNEL HAVING GUIDE WALLS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE REAR PART OF THE FIXING BLOCK IN THE REAR THEREOF; A BINDING BOLT PROVIDED AS HORIZONTALLY INSERTED AND FITTED THROUGH THE COUPLER HOLE OF THE CARRIER BLOCK AND THE COUPLER HOLE OF THE FIXING BLOCK, SAID BOLT BEING SCREWED WITH A NUT FOR THE BINDING PURPOSE; A COMPRESSION COIL SPRING INSERTED INTO THE BOLT BETWEEN SAID NUT AND THE CARRIER BLOCK; TWO PAIRS OF LINKS FOR PIVOTALLY CONNECTING THROUGH PINS THE BOLT HEAD AND THE CARRIER BLOCK RESPECTIVELY WITH A LEVER HANDLE THAT IS ALSO PROVIDED HEREWITH FOR OPERATION OF BINDING; AND A CONCAVE, ARCUATE BLOCK PIVOT-FIXED TO THE FOREWARD PART OF SAID LEVER HANDLE FOR BEING KNOCKED AGAINST THE HEEL OF THE BOOT FOR COMPRESSION AND BINDING OF THE BOOT. 